Accessibility Links

The Ethicist

Randy Cohen

September 21 2004, 1:00am, The Times

Our backyard bird feeder predates our cat, which has turned out to be quite a hunter. Once in a while he will kill or trap birds; he often brings them alive into the house and we have rescued quite a few. Is it inhumane to fill a birdfeeder when the possibility of attack may occur?

It is inhumane to use a feeder as a snackbar for cats, luring songbirds to their doom. John Bianchi, a spokesman for the Audubon Society in the US, notes that: “Domestic cats are not wild animals. They were bred to hunt and kill even when they are not hungry, to protect granaries.” He adds that “a cat will stay near the feeder all day and kill five or six birds”.